Insult to Injury
by KatLokidottir
Summary: Dark fic! Trigger warning for lots of torture, lots of angst and TonyWhump! So, the Avengers happened. But that's not the end, nor is it the last the world will see of everyone's favorite God of Mischief. When Loki escapes from Asgardian prison, he returns to Earth, intent on revenge on the Avengers. But when he kidnaps and tortures a certain genius, he may have to alter his plans.
1. Escape from Asgard

**Okay, wow! Thanks to everyone who replied to my poll, I've decided on the following: there will be more torture, there will not be slash, there will not be smut. I have no experience writing smut, and though I'm open to experimenting with it, I don't want to write a sucky sex scene, so... here is my compromise, suggested geniusly by marianne: If there is a large enough demand by the end of this fic, after I've had time to practice with smut-writing, I will write an alternate fic with smut. Deal?**

**Anyways, I have decided to start the fic with Loki's escape from Asgard first. I know it's short, but I'll post the next chapter, which will be longer, by Friday. This is my own original, although the next chapter was the opening chapter of Pax's version, only edited.**

**Without further ado:**

**"Insult to Injury"**

The instant my feet leave the ground on Midgard, I begin murmuring under my breath nonstop, knowing I have only seconds to accomplish my goal. Thor was foolish to believe that the miserable cuffs the mortals improvised could resist my magic. I played along, though, knowing that in the long run, it would just help with my escape. Thor believed it.

Mistake number one.

I grin behind my muzzle as I feel it loosen as well as my handcuffs.

When I land in Asgard, I have to resist the urge to laugh. We have landed less than 3 feet from where Thor dropped me into the abyss. I give him a look, glancing at the edge of the Bifrost and back to him, and he gives me a sad puppy look. I turn my head and begin walking just ahead of him, intent on showing some semblance of control on my way to what all of Asgard assumes is to be my eternal punishment.

I, however, have different plans.

Thor, the oaf, caught up with me easily and grips my arm silently. Thank the Norns he does not have the same impulse as he had before, of trying desperately to show me "the error of my ways." He finally realizes that his foolish dream of having things how they were before, a lie, will not be happening again.

He guides me silently through the hallways of the palace I once called home, now simply a reminder of the one lie the Liesmith himself believed. No more.

We descend the stone steps to the dungeons quietly, the only sound the echoing of our footfalls off of the walls. I am thrown in a cell, large by Asgardian standards, but a cell none the less, one that binds my magic. Evidently I am still to be treated like a fallen prince rather than a warmongering monster.

Mistake number two.

They would have done better to chain me to the wall, to trap me in a small room. Because now I have room to maneuver. I'm not complaining, of course. It's their lives, not mine.

The instant the cell door disappears into the wall, I shake my hands free of the improvised shackles, and tear the muzzle away from my face, from my silver tongue.

Now, to escape the cell. I figure that a guard will come in to check on me every half hour, as is customary for all high-risk prisoners in Asgard. So, now all I have to do is wait.

When the guard comes in 30 minutes later, I am prepared. The instant he enters the cell, my hands are around his neck, cutting off his air. His eyes widen in panic as he tries to lessen my grip, but in seconds he is dead on the floor, head lolled to the side, neck snapped in two.

I step over the body disdainfully, exiting the cell. The second I am outside the cell, I feel my magic flow back into me, and I take a moment to savor the taste of raw power. My power. I conceal myself from the meddlesome gatekeeper's gaze, just as I had done in Jotunheim. He would be the first to die when I took control of Asgard.

I hear more footsteps coming down the corridor, and wait, a smirk plastered on my face. When the guard rounds the corner, he freezes in his tracks, then opens his mouth to call out for help. Only to be cut off by a knife through the throat. I smile in satisfaction. My skills with throwing knives have apparently not diminished.

I make my out of the dungeon, stabbing all the other guards who attempt to stop me before they can even get a word of warning out.

Foolish Asgardians. They think they can stop a sorcerer, a king, from getting what he wants. And what I want now is the Tesseract, the Infinity Gauntlet, and a bit of revenge on the Midgardians who dared try to best a god.

The way to the weapons vault is not guarded, although I have no doubt that the vault itself will be guarded. No matter.

I enter the weapons vault silently, quickly eliminating the two guards stationed within. I saunter easily towards the pedestal where the Casket of Ancient Winters once sat, now replaced by the Tesseract, seeing as how I still had the Casket in my own void. I gripped it lightly in my palm, the hum of power ancient as time itself almost overpowering. I slip it into my cloak and turn towards the nook in the wall that held the Gauntlet. I reach out for it...

Then my not-brother barges in, Mjolnir in hand. How he knew I escaped, I did not know, not that it mattered.

"Brother, stop this nonsense!"

"No," I say simply. My eyes widen in surprise to see Mjolnir flying towards my head, appalled that Thor would risk hurting the one he still saw as a brother, though I had no such qualms, and I quickly dematerialize.

I land in Midgard again, in a cave in a mountain, towering over a valley of curious trees, flattened in a circle.

Of course, I have every intent of going back for the Gauntlet, but I decide to wait for now.

After all, there are Avengers to punish.

**Oh my, a plot! Where did that spring from? I talked to Pax about this and she said it was good. Honestly, she didn't have a plot planned out too much, just wanted to write torture. Of course, that's fine :P and I will continue with that but I also wanted some more... substance. So here it is.**

**For those unfamiliar with the comics, the Infinity Gauntlet is a glove-like thing that contains the six Infinity Gems: Space, Time, Soul, Reality, Power, and Mind. The wearer is able to do virtually anything, except destroy the Gems.**


	2. Abduction

**Hey, guys.**

**I feel like a whiny insecure little bitch about my last post, and you guys were all right. I know it's not an excuse, but I had just had a huge fight with the bf and was already in a pissy mood, but that doesn't excuse my rudeness and I would like to offer my most sincere apology to all readers.**

**I hope you guys will not stop reading due to my momentary lapse in judgement. Thank you.**

**I will now post the revised Chapter One early!**

**Here it is:**

Tony strode from the sparkling elevator interior into the living room, his destination already in mind. He made his way over to his custom bar and reached up to grab his favorite glass that some dignitary or other had given him at some international convention he doesn't remember much, setting it down on the granite countertop. _Gods know I need a drink, _he thought. He bent over to get a bottle from his cooler, when he suddenly glanced up, hearing a slight rustle. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could have sworn he saw a pair of emerald green eyes glittering mischievously at him from across the expansive living room, but when he blinked, they were gone. He relaxed and poured himself a glass of ice-cold whiskey. _Just my imagination. Yep, definitely need the drink._

He grabbed his glass and walked over to his picture window, looking out over the vastness that was New York City. Tony could see the construction taking place throughout Manhattan, still repairing the damage from their extraterrestrial visit six months ago. Of course, the city forced Tony to help pay for repairs, although he pointed out that if they wanted to sue someone, they could sue the Norse God that actually destroyed it. No such luck.

He wasn't surprised that he was imagining things, considering. The briefing at SHIELD headquarters today had struck an emotion in Tony that he hadn't felt since the battle for the city six months ago: fear. Loki had escaped from his cell on Asgard, leaving five guards dead and an additional five injured. Despite the best efforts of multiple realms to track him, no trace had been found of the infamous God of Mischief. _Fantastic. There's a crazed, revenge-seeking supervillain on the loose in the universe. Again._

The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention, and Tony stiffened suddenly, sensing a presence behind him. He heard a sinister chuckle, and a cold, sharp blade slid into place around his neck.

"Hello Stark. Remember me?" purred a dreadfully familiar voice into his ear. The last voice he wanted to hear. Hell, Hammer's voice would've been better.

"I don't know," Tony choked out. "Are you one of my many adoring fans?" Ever sarcastic.

The voice growled. "Think harder if you value your life." The knife pressed deeper into Tony's throat, drawing a few ruby drops. _Maybe sarcasm isn't the way to go._

Tony nodded, now unable (unwilling) to speak.

"Good. Then you know what I am capable of. You will come with me, and will not say a word or fight, or you will suffer a long, excruciating death," hissed the voice.

Tony nodded cautiously once again, and felt the knife disappear. He released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and turned to face the God of Mischief. Loki smiled maliciously at him, and then shoved him forward. Tony began walking as Loki directed him to the elevator. Loki pressed the button for the 95th floor, the helipad floor.

A voice came on over one of the many hidden computers and speakers throughout Stark Tower.

"Sir, would you like me to call SHIELD for assistance?" asked JARVIS suddenly, and in a flash, Loki had his knife at Tony's throat again.

"Choose wisely, Stark," murmured Loki.

"No, Jarvis, I'm fine." Loki pressed ever so slightly with the knife, and Tony continued on with sickening understanding. "Erase all records of the past half hour, and do not alert anyone as to who was here, or where I am," Tony choked out, and the knife was removed.

Though Loki was behind him, Stark could almost see him smirking.

"Good choice."

When the elevator doors opened, Loki dragged Tony down the short hallway and out the door to the helipad. Tony stopped abruptly, in awe of the sight before him. The sleek black helicopter was the largest Tony had ever seen aside from the helicarrier, taking up most of the rooftop space. Loki growled and dragged him forward, breaking his focus. Loki hauled Tony up the steps into the back of the helicopter, and flung him to the ground. Loki grinned, and his scepter materialized in his hand in place of the knife, which Tony could see was covered in Norse runes. Loki strode over to Tony and clapped his hands to Tony's temple, and the world swirled into nothingness.

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

Tony awoke in a small amount of pain, noting bruises on his hips, elbows and knees, indicating that he had fallen or been thrown to the ground. He also noticed that he was missing a shirt. _At least I still have my pants!_ he thought, thankful for some protection from the chill of the room.

"JARVIS, what happened?" No response. "JARVIS?"

Tony opened his eyes, and found himself in an unfamiliar room made of solid stone, with no doors or windows. _What the hell? _All of a sudden, his memory came rushing back. The threats. The kidnapping. Loki. _Oh, shit. I'm in the clutches of a madman. This'll be fun. _Tony, too tired to move just yet, glanced around his cell. There was what Tony thought was a table in his peripheral vision, although he couldn't tell what was on it. He tilted his head slightly, and caught sight of a pair of manacles hanging from the ceiling about 3 feet from the nearest wall. Fantastic. The only light he could see was coming from a single bright light bulb in the middle of the room. Tony felt the temperature drop further, and heard Loki's voice from behind him.

When Tony awoke again, he was strapped to the cold, metal chair he had seen earlier. This time, however, instead of immediately reacting, Tony kept his eyes shut and listened carefully for any sign of Loki. He didn't hear any breathing aside from his own, so he opened his eyes. Tony glanced around the room and, not seeing anyone, relaxed. He bent his head to examine his bonds; solid metal with no apparent opening mechanism, and too tight to squeeze out of. Ah, well. He didn't think Loki would be that careless anyways. Tony also noticed that there were armrests to the chair, but no back. Interesting. Tony leaned his head back and tried to mentally ready himself for the tortures that were sure to follow Loki's return. Tony suddenly felt a rush of cool air brush his ear, and a voice whispered, "You recover fast."

Tony jumped, and Loki laughed, materializing in front of Tony. Loki was dressed similarly to the way Tony remembered him from the fight several months ago, in his black, green and gold armor and his sparkling staff, as well as his ridiculous golden hat.

"Hey, Reindeer Games. I see you found the Glowstick of Destiny again." Loki's cool smile fell, and his jaw twitched in irritation, but he remained silent. He stared at Tony for an uncomfortably long moment, and then began circling Tony like a vulture, considering him from all angles.

"You like?" jabbed Tony after about a minute. Abruptly Loki stopped behind Tony, and Tony felt cool metal press against his back between his shoulder blades. Tony stopped moving, suddenly painfully conscious of his position as a captive. Tony winced as the blade of the scepter dragged down his spine, leaving a long cut dripping blood down the center of his back. Loki returned to the front of Tony and smiled. Tony muttered under his breath.

"Asshole"

Loki's scepter dropped to the floor with an ominous clang, and he strode forward, until his face was threateningly close to Tony's.

"What?" he growled, his cool breath slapping Tony's face.

"I said, asshole," replied Tony, smirking in spite of himself. Loki's hand flew up and coiled itself around Tony's neck and began squeezing, stopping just short of cutting off Tony's air.

"You would do well to remain quiet and respectful to your captor, given your current position," Loki hissed into Tony's ear.

"Respect? You?" asked Tony, feigning disbelief. "Why would I respect a psychotic murderer?"

Loki's free hand slid backwards, and the scepter flew into his hand. With a quick breath in Norse, Loki transformed the scepter into a sparkling diamond dagger.

"Because you are my prisoner," Loki replied, stroking the side of Tony's face with the knife almost lovingly, his hand still tight around his neck. Loki pressed forwards, and the chair tipped back, Tony's feet scrambling desperately to catch grip on the stone floor.

"Tell me, Stark, why I shouldn't kill you right now. You, the 'genius' Tony Stark, the Man of Iron, at the mercy of your worst enemy. You who…"

Tony cut Loki off. "Don't flatter yourself with the 'greatest enemy' thing. I've seen better."

Loki growled and continued. "You, who ruined my great plans for mankind. I have every power over you, why shouldn't I kill you?"

"Because I'm too lovable to straight up kill?" choked out Tony.

Loki sneered, and plunged the knife into Tony's thigh. Tony bit back a scream as Loki forced the blade deeper, twisting it agonizingly into the nerves.

"Actually, it would be a waste to kill you, Stark. You have too much heart to kill. I will simply break your will, taking revenge for every grievance your group of 'heroes' has caused. And then, you will be mine to command as I please. Imagine what I could do with the great Iron Man at my disposal," Loki whispered softly.

Tony could imagine, and it was nothing good. And his situation continued to get worse. There was nothing he could bargain with, no information to tease the god with. Loki already had what he wanted, or would soon, if Tony broke. He couldn't let that happen.

He felt the bloodied knife slide out of his leg, and as he felt the blood rushing out, Tony let out a small gasp, unable to do anything else from the shock. Loki wiped the knife on Tony's chest, and, smiling sadistically, he released Tony's throat and let the chair back down. He muttered in Norse again, and the knife transformed back into his terrible scepter. He leaned close again.

"You will break, Tony Stark. And I will enjoy every second, every blistering moment of it." Loki vanished, and Tony finally hung his head. He was screwed.


	3. The Whipping Boy

Fury leaned forward at the table. "What do you mean, Stark's missing? He was here just yesterday morning, Hill!"

Hill looked won at her feet, somewhat intimidated by Fury's temper that currently matched his name.

"He's missing, sir. Miss Potts, his secretary, called us early this morning and informed us that he is missing from Stark Tower. She said that he always tells her when he leaves New York, and he hasn't answered his phone since noon yesterday. She sent a friend to check out his Malibu house as well, and he isn't there. For all intents and purposes, sir, Stark is gone missing."

Fury rested his head in his hands. "Do we have a recon team out looking for him?"

"Yes, sir."

Fury nodded. "Good."

Hill stepped forward.

"Sir, if you don't mind my saying, don't you think it strange that Stark went missing right after Loki's escape?"

Fury stood and looked her in the eye.

"Hill, you know I don't believe in coincidences. However, I will not jump to conclusions when there is no evidence that he is behind this."

Hill nodded. "Very well, sir."

"Oh, and Hill?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Assemble the rest of the Avengers."

"Yes, sir."

Fury dismissed Hill and turned to face the expansive window of the helicarrier.

"We'll find you Stark. One way or another."

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

Tony's head spun from the blood loss, all of his thoughts jumbling together incoherently. He forced himself to look at his leg, almost gagging at the amount of blood. He carefully wiped what blood he could away from the wound, hissing slightly in pain. It was not wide, but was rather deep by the look of it. The blood was not spurting out, so thankfully Loki had missed any major arteries. However, his leg was still bleeding profusely, creating a crimson puddle on the stone floor beneath him. Tony grit his teeth and pulled his legs close to the armrests. It sent a jolt of pain shooting through the wounded leg, and Tony cried out slightly, but continued. He grasped the pant leg of one side, his uninjured leg, and quickly forced that leg down, ripping off a small piece of the denim. He tossed the cloth onto his injured leg, and readied himself as best he could for the pain about to consume his body.

His injured leg still propped against the armrest, he forced his hand forward slightly to press the cloth against the wound, and almost yelled from the racks of pain shooting through him, but steeled himself and pressed harder, the light blue denim turning scarlet in moments. After a few minutes of pressure, the wound slowly stopped bleeding. _That's one problem taken care of, _he thought, leaning against the backrest as he set his foot down cautiously, not wanting the wound to reopen. He knew it would probably get infected if it wasn't treated soon, but at least he knew he wouldn't die from blood loss. At least not yet.

The pain and shock of the night suddenly fell upon him in waves, and Tony felt the room spin as his head sunk to his chest. Another minute and he was unconscious, his body welcoming the temporary reprieve.

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

When Tony awoke, everything hurt. His back was cramped, his head was throbbing, and his arms were aching from subconsciously straining against the metal bonds around his wrists last night. Thankfully, his injured leg had gone numb at some point during the night, and the only feeling he got of it was of pins and needles. Probably not good, medically speaking, but better than having to deal with that pain too.

He blearily opened his eyes, and the room looked the same as it had last night. There was no way to tell what time it was, and Tony cursed himself for not knowing the date from yesterday. Or was it the day before? Honestly, Tony had no idea how long he'd been in the helicopter unconscious when Loki kidnapped him, or how long he'd been asleep. It could have been longer than he had first thought. Certainly no more than two days, at the most? Regardless of what day it was, the Avengers would no doubt have noticed his absence by now, and although Jarvis couldn't tell or show them anything, Tony was sure they could find him. They were the Avengers, after all.

His thoughts turned to Pepper, wonderful, sweet Pepper. He wondered what she was thinking of his disappearance. She was always overprotective, ever since Afghanistan. He was lucky to get away from her for an hour. But he loved her for it.

Suddenly, Tony remembered. He had made a program enabling Jarvis to be installed on Pepper's phone as well as the Malibu house and Stark Tower. Even if Tony erased the video at the Tower, it would still be on Pepper's phone. Tony hoped desperately that Pepper would think to check her phone after a while of him missing. At least they would know who took him, even if the video could give no hint as to where he was. He groaned. Even he didn't know where he was.

**~~Fancy Page Break~~**

Loki materialized in front of Tony about two hours later, ready to play with his new toy.

Tony barely glanced up, half-asleep as he was. Loki backhanded Tony across the face, which woke him up as his head spun.

"What the hell was that for, Loki!" yelled Tony, now fully awake.

Loki's jaw tightened minutely and he turned to stare Tony in the eyes. "Watch that mouth, Stark, otherwise I may have to take away the privilege of speaking."

Tony just looked at him coolly, so Loki continued.

"That was so you are fully awake when the fun begins, Mr. Stark."

"Yeah. Fun," snorted Tony. "Is that what they call it nowadays?"

Loki grinned.

"I don't know about 'them,' but I know this is going to be very fun. Not for you of course, but for me," replied Loki.

"Of course," Tony said in response. "You get all the fun. Well, once the Avengers find me, we'll be having the fun, eh?"

Loki whirled around and, with a tap, dissolved the bonds. Tony looked up in surprise, and Loki's hand coiled around his neck, lifting him off the ground.

"Your precious little teammates, the supposed 'heroes,' will not be finding you, not alive. They will find your broken, mangled body, or they themselves will be dead by the time we are done here," spat Loki.

Tony struggled to push himself upwards to avoid suffocating yet again, his toes pressing into the floor and his hands scrabbling for a grip on Loki's arms. Loki slammed him against one of the stone walls, and Tony stopped struggling, dazed.

"Ready to begin?" asked Loki.

Tony just shook his head, trying desperately to catch his breath and make the world stop spinning.

"Oh, pity," sneered Loki, dropping Tony into a panting heap on the cold floor. He snapped his fingers sharply, and the manacles from the ceiling came down to rest in front of him. Loki bent down and roughly grabbed Tony by the arm, hoisting him up and pressing him into the wall. He snatched Tony's wrists and quickly cuffed him into the chains. He snapped again, and the chains retracted, pulling Tony up with them, despite mumbled protests. When they came to a halt, Tony's toes could just reach the floor, not enough to support any weight, but tantalizingly close.

Loki murmured, and the scepter in his hand shimmered gold, then transformed into a whip, made of beautiful braided leather and interwoven with small strands of gold. In one smooth movement, the he uncoiled the whip, snapping it a few times in the air, sending sharp cracks echoing off of the walls. Tony stared in fear at the whip, then back to Loki.

"You'll pay for this, Loki. I hope you realize that."

"Oh, I look forward to it."

Loki rounded behind Tony, and Tony's muscles tensed. Loki ran a cool finger softly down the scabbed-over cut on his spine, sending a shiver down Tony's back. Loki chuckled, and the hand disappeared to be replaced by the harsh sting of a whiplash. Tony gasped, but refused to give Loki the satisfaction of a scream. Loki reared back and swung the whip harder, and Tony's back arched in pain. Tony let fly a string of expletives, and Loki grinned behind Tony.

"What have I said about language, Stark? I daresay one whiplash for each expletive should drive the point home."

"Fuck you."

Tony turned his head to glare behind him and felt the hot sting of the whip striking his cheek. He turned to face forwards again, and bit his lip to keep from cursing more, which would lead to even more pain in the long run.

Loki set up a harsh, biting rhythm and each time pain racked Tony's body, but he refused to cry out. He bit his lip harder as Loki sped up, lashing him harder and harder. When Loki was finally done, he stepped back to admire his work. The whip had completely shredded the smaller man's back. Loki rounded to the front of Tony, and was surprised to find blood dripping down his chin from a bite on his lip, head still held up defiantly.

Loki had to admire the man's pain threshold. Many mortals would at the very least have cried out during the harsh lashing Stark had received, but Stark did nothing.

Loki reached a hand out underneath Tony's chin and forced his head gently up. Tony glared at the god with such fury that Loki almost drew back in surprise, but caught himself. Loki reached his free hand up and softly brushed Tony's hair back, sending an unconscious shudder down the man's aching back.

"What secrets are you hiding from me, Stark?" whispered Loki.

"What are you on about now, Reindeer Games?" asked Tony.

Loki stepped back and stared at Tony contemplatively. "You know, most mortals would have at least cried out during that last lashing."

"Well, in case you forgot, I'm a superhero. Pain is part of the territory, genius," replied Tony spitefully.

"But there's more than that, isn't there?" asked Loki.

Tony just kept glaring at Loki, and suddenly Loki's hands reached up to his forehead. Loki closed his eyes, and Tony saw flashes of his past in his mind's eye.

His mind provided vivid memories of his time with the Ten Rings. The surgery, conducted by several men of whom only one had the faintest idea of what he was doing, and without anesthesia. The waterboarding, the sparks shooting from the car battery's place in his chest, leaving a harsh trail of burns on his torso. The Mark 1 suit, burning its way out of the cave to freedom, along with anyone who stood in his way. Yensin, his only friend in captivity, lying on the sacks in the cave, dying before of Tony's very eyes. Obie- no, Obadiah- leaning over him and ripping the reactor out of his chest, grinning all the while as the man who thought of him as a father lay dying. Loki pulled away slowly, and opened his eyes again.

"Well, that was interesting," said Loki slowly. Tony shot him a look that could kill.

"You asshole! You just had to go dredging up those memories, didn't you, you bastard!" Tony screamed.

Loki looked at him coolly, a ghost of a smile playing across his face. Tony abruptly realized what he had just done, and his eyes widened in fear. _Shut your mouth, Tony, quit while you're ahead._

A chilling smile settled on Loki's face as he stepped forwards, malice etched into his every feature.

_Damn, too late._


	4. Lucifer

**Sorry it took a while to update, I've got midterms and a couple big projects coming up soon. I took a sick day today, though, so I could actually write finally! This chapter is an original chapter, and the next one will be as well. So, since I'm still not sure how notifications work, I edited the story a little bit, so if you haven't read the chapter where Loki whips Tony, you need to go back a chapter.**

**This chapter gets really angsty towards the end.**

**Thank you guys for all your reviews thus far! **

**Anyways, on with the show!**

"Apparently, the simple sting of a whiplash is not enough to silence that sharp tongue of yours, Stark," mused Loki. "I suppose that I'll have to get a little bit more… creative."

The cool words coupled with the dark words set Tony on edge, almost as much as the sadistic smirk that shown upon the god's face.

There was a soft snap, and the chains supporting Tony abruptly released his wrists with a soft click. Tony fell to the cool stone with a muffled thump. Cold hand closed, vice-like, around his biceps and dragged him to his feet, pushing him from behind towards the metal table that had somehow moved from its place against the wall into the middle of the room. He was lifted and unceremoniously set down on the table, despite his protests and straining feet against the table.

Tony sat up and attempted to climb down off of the table, only to be stopped by a hand splayed against his chest. Tony tensed imperceptibly as the fingers brushed over the arc reactor, but the god made no comment, merely pressing him back against the table with astonishing strength. His head slammed hard against the table, and his vision blurred for a moment from the impact, enough time for metal braces to spring from the table, pinning him to the cold surface.

His vision back to normal, Tony registered the cuffs and began straining against them futilely, not just due to the fact that he was pinned. His PTSD was beginning to return, after he'd just gotten rid of it, Tony'd thought for good. But this whole situation - the stone room, the table, the cuffs, the sadistic tormentor – reminded him all too much of Afghanistan, and the panic was beginning to set in, not just the panic that would occur in this situation, but the panic of one who's suffered through a similar situation before.

Tony quickly realized that the more he struggled, the tighter the cuffs got. "I would suggest that you stop for now, Stark, unless you wish to lose the use of your hands," said Loki distractedly. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down.

_In, hold, out. In, hold, out. In, hold, out. Just breathe._

His panic attack ebbing slightly, Tony turned to look for the god, to see what he was doing, to try and prepare himself. Loki's back was to him, as he was fiddling with something on a much smaller cart. It appeared to be glowing slightly, but Tony couldn't quite get a good glimpse of what he was doing.

Suddenly, the god turned to face the billionaire, his body still blocking Tony's view of whatever was on the cart.

"Tell me, Stark, do you know what else I am the god of?"

Tony chuckled mirthlessly. "Hmm… asinine-ness? Craziness? Oh, I've got it, kinky sex, seeing as how you seem to be into the whole BDSM thing."

A withering glare silenced the genius as Loki turned and wheeled the cart around to sit next to the table.

"I, Stark, am the God of Fire."

"Oh, well. That was not what I expected, but cool, nonetheless. I have a question, though." Tony paused for a moment, debating whether or not he actually wanted to risk asking. It would just incense the god even more, make him torture Tony even more. But, it would piss the god off, and heaven knows Tony loves to piss anyone and everyone off. To ask, or not to ask? "How can you be the god of fire when you turn into an icy blue thing that looks like your trying to channel 'Avatar'?"

Aw, hell. He was Tony Stark, after all.

The god's eyes narrowed to slits in fury, but when he spoke, his voice was deceptively calm. Which, in truth, simply made it all the scarier. "And who told you this, hm?"

"Your big brother. Or wait, he's not your brother, is he? I don't see how you could have even thought for a moment that you and Thor were related. I mean, all gold hair and blue eyes and then random black hair and green eyes? That's kinda weird. Anyway, Point Break was really interested about the whole 'being an alien to an alien' thing, what with you Yo-da things versus the Ass-guardians. I mean, you guys being able to fling ice spears and turn all smurfy and stuff sounds pretty cool, you know, sans the red eyes. That sounds pretty creepy. But, I must say, now I'm curious. How can you control fire when you're an ice giant thing or whatever? Though you don't seem like much of a giant to me," mused Tony thoughtfully.

By this time, Loki was trembling with barely restrained fury, and though Tony knew he should be positively terrified right now, he couldn't help but grin. _Even as a captive, I still have the ability to piss anyone, in any situation, off. I mean, come on, I think that deserves a little bit of pride._

Loki turned away from Tony for a moment, and Tony could see his shoulder's heave slightly as he struggled to regain his composure. After a moment, the harsh line of his shoulders eased into a relaxed curve, and his posture showed that he had managed to master, or at least mask, his anger.

He turned back to Tony, the only thing showing his rage the sharp spark in his eyes. He walked calmly over to the table, his hands conjuring a pair of tongs as he walked.

…

_Raza picked up the translucent papers that, when held together up to the light, showed the only means of escape that Tony and Yinsen had. Both men held their breath as Raza examined the papers before setting them back down on the table, mistaking them for meaningless scrawls. _

_He turned and paced slowly across the room towards where Yinsen was standing next to a small furnace, questioning the progress that had been made on the Jericho. Tony and Yinsen tried to reassure him that it was almost done, they just needed more time…_

_Raza cut them off impatiently, picking up a pair of metal tongs encased in rubber handles and turning towards Yinsen._

_…_

The god reached the table to which the billionaire was strapped, a faint smile contrasting sharply against the anger practically pouring out of his eyes. _If looks could kill…_

He turned towards the cart, setting the tongs into a hammered bronze bowl, from which a faint glowing emanated, flickering against the sharp angles of the god's pale face, making him look ethereal, like a nightmare come to life. Almost like…

Oh. Well, fuck.

Loki lifted a burning coal from the bowl, the red-orange embers shimmering against the black, examining it silently. Some part of Tony's mind, the part that wasn't currently focused on the burning hot object held between the tongs, made a connection between the god standing before him and Lucifer, the devil himself. He'd never been religious, but the relationship was almost uncanny. A divine being, fallen from grace, thrown into an eternal flame, always causing chaos and destruction, trying to lead people down the path to darkness. Both Tony and Loki's eyes were locked on the coal, seemingly mesmerized by it, albeit for two completely different reasons.

…

_Raza raised the tongs towards the furnace, reaching into the machine to retrieve a glowing coal. He nodded towards two of the armed guards that had come in with him, and before Yinsen or Tony could to anything, Yinsen had his arms pinned behind his back, face forced roughly against a metal bar. Tony watched in shock and horror, paralyzed as the coal inched ever closer to his only friend in this god-forsaken place as the rest of the men in the room watched silently._

_…_

Loki's eyes snapped from the coal to Tony, and when the genius made eye contact, he grinned darkly, his expression showing in no uncertain terms the thrill he got from having Tony Stark, the Iron Man, at his mercy. The coal that was hovering above the bowl swung over to rest just above the arc reactor in his chest, and Tony's entire body tensed up.

…

_Raza began interrogating Yinsen in a language Tony couldn't understand, apparently unconvinced by the explanations the two men had just given him .Yinsen kept replying "Jericho," yet the coal still inched ever closer to his face as Raza continued asking the same question, receiving the same answer each time. When the coal was mere centimeters from Yinsen's mouth, Tony stepped forward despite the unrest of the soldiers, unwilling to let his friend suffer through the agony that was seemingly about to be forced upon him. _

_…_

Tony wouldn't beg, he told himself. No matter how much it hurt, he would not beg for it to end. He would _never_ lower himself to begging someone, especially Loki, for mercy. His pride, his self-respect, wouldn't, _couldn't_, allow it. _I will not beg, I will never beg, will never plead for mercy from some bastard like Loki. _

But he would for another person, spare them the pain. He did it for Yinsen, he did it every day as Iron Man. He would die before letting someone else get hurt if he could keep it from happening. Anyone had more to live for than the narcissistic Tony Stark.

_"So you're a man who has everything, yet nothing."_

Family, future, everyone had something that Tony didn't seem to have: a reason to live other than just to spite the world, to show everyone, to show _Howard_ that he could, that he could be something in life, actually be important. Yes, Tony was alive out of spite, when he had the blood of countless innocents on his hands. He had to prove to the world that he was good, that he was worth it. He had to prove it to himself, and he would do it however he could.

_"I've got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."_

And then the coal alighted on Tony's chest, just below the reactor, and his tortured, agonized screams reverberated from the chamber walls.

**So, what'd you think? Please review :)  
**

**Also: The next chapter should be up soon, but I can't be specific what with all the stuff going on at school. **


	5. A Mission

**Hey guys! Sorry I'm a little late to update, midterms just ended, I got a new bf, just a lot going on, but never fear, I didn't forget about this story. Nor have I forgotten about my other stories, this one is just my favorite to write. #imasickperson. Anyways, this chapter is one of my personal favorites. This is kinda Loki POV but not first-person if you get what I mean. Hmm... Ah ha! Loki-centric. There we go :) This chapter has been in my head for a while now, even before I adopted this story, and it probably would've ended up the opening to another story, but with a different character than the OC in this chapter. Now, though, I've changed it. There is actually a reminder in this chapter that there is a plot other than just Tony!whump. Not like that's not enough, but there is a plot, and it will start becoming more prominent in future chapters. There'll still be Tony and Avengers getting beat around, though, so no worries. ;)**

**Anyways, enough blabbing for now, on with the show!**

Loki smiled as he walked down the dark corridor, perfectly at ease in the dark. He was raised in the shadows, anyways, while others got the spotlight. The shadows were home, and were, in his opinion, better than being the center of attention. After all, it is far easier whispering into the ears of others than trying to give a stirring speech. Some people were made to be in the spotlight, while some were left with cloaks and daggers, words and twisted truths. Loki was the latter, and far preferred it to the former. It was easier, safer, and far more effective.  
He was pleased with the progress that had been made today. Stark was close to his breaking point, already exhibiting signs of a man falling apart, of which Loki was quite familiar with. Stark's sanity seemed to be slipping, his mind blurring the line between past and present. However, Loki wanted the man's spirit broken, not his mind. After all, he was one of the smartest mortals on this pathetic realm, and it would be a shame to waste a mind such as his when it could be put to better use elsewhere, intact.

Loki mentally chided himself. He was on a mission, an extremely important mission, and he needed to focus on the ask at hand.  
Invisibly, he crept down the rock-hewn hallway, his footfalls muffled by the plush carpeting beneath his feet as he made his way to the thick door at the end of the hall, where a thin beam of faint light emanated from the crack between door and floor.

Finally, he was standing before the door, one hand resting on the gilted door handle as the other reached into his cloak, long, pale fingers closing around a diamond dagger. He eased the door open silently, the only sound in the room the soft hiss of the candle's flame and the light snoring coming from the luxurious bed on the left. He closed the door gingerly, careful not to disturb the sleeping figure as he quickly carved sound-absorbing runes into the dark wood of the door.

After this precaution was done, he turned towards the bed, extinguishing the flame of the candle as he passed the table and plunging the room into darkness.  
...

I awoke to darkness, a hand clapped over my mouth and a knife to my throat. I struggled for a moment against the shadow pinning me to my own bed, until the knife pressed down, drawing blood.

"Shhhh," a velvety voice whispered. "I wouldn't want to have to kill you yet."

I swallowed deeply, trying to compose myself despite the fear coursing through my veins.

"Now, do you think you can behave, or do I need to... persuade you?"

I nodded cautiously, well aware of the blade still against my neck. The hand moved away from my mouth, and I took in a deep breath to steady myself.

"W-Who are you?" I whispered, hoping that the answer might provide some knowledge on why the shadow was here, and whether I could possibly gain the upper hand. Doubtful, but still possible.

A soft chuckle came from above me. "Does it really matter? There are more important questions that could be asked, are there not?"

Well, there goes that idea.

"Are you here to kill me?"

"That is not my main purpose here, no."

"Why are you here?"

"I seek information, information that only you, Finn Kohlson, can give me."

"What information?"

"I seek the Infinity Gems."

Uh oh. Not good.

"I don't know anything about the Infinity Gems."

"Don't you? Then you are of no worth to me alive, Mr. Kohlson. Please, spare me the lies, those are my specialty. Now, you can tell me the truth, or I can cut it out of you. No one will come to rescue you, I have made sure of that, and I can introduce you to a world of agony you never knew existed. Tell me what I need to know, or I will force it out of you."  
...

Loki shut the door behind him, a grin on his face despite the blood seeping from beneath the wood and onto the carpet, staining the tan carpet crimson. He knew where the Gems were. He was the only one alive to know their location, the only other person to ever know lying dead behind the closed the door.

He could already taste the victory, the thrill of having the universe at his feet, the feel of raw power.

It was within his reach, and he'd be damned if anyone was going to get in his way.

**I realize this one is really short, but the next one is longer and will be up soon.**  
**Please review :) Reviews make my day. So do Oreos. ;)**


	6. Subjugation

**Sorry for the long update :) **

**Okay, so, Margaret (guest) asked: what gems? Well, if you read the Author's Note at the end of Ch1, I kind of explain it, but I'll re-explain it here. The Gems being referred to are the Infinity Gems, a set of six gems featured in the Marvel Comics. They fit in the Infinity Gauntlet, which is basically a giant golden glove with slots for all of the gems. Each gem controls something different: the green one controls the soul and is sentient, the orange one controls time, the purple controls space, the blue controls the mind, the yellow controls reality, and the red controls power. Anyone who controls all of the gems essentially controls the universe, but only their own. The cannot control the multiverse. According to the comics, Loki controlled all of the gems at some point, and his goal in this fic is to get them all so he can be Master of the Universe. For my purposes, the only way to get the gems is to get the Tesseract, even though that is not true in the comics. **

**Sorry if anyone seems OOC, I'm trying my best to mix character personalities with what both the situation and overall plot demand.**

**Hmm, anything else? Ah, yes, thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, and especially reviewed, and a bonus thank you to those kind people who offered me gifts of Oreos. I'm going to get fat, I swear...**

**Anyways, on with the show!**

Tony awakes to the sound of quiet, harsh breathing. He tenses out of instinct, waiting for the tell-tale sound of Loki's familiar footfalls, but it never comes. He turns his head to look around for the source of the sound before he realizes that it's himself generating it, throat dry from lack of water and sore from screaming.

He lets out a soft groan as he rolls slowly onto his side.

Wait... his side? What?

He tilts his head back to look for the cuffs that had restrained him - last night? Yesterday? Last month? It really didn't matter anymore: the past was pain, the present was pain, the future? He didn't know - only to find that the metal cuffs had disappeared without a trace except for the red welts on his wrist.

Why would Loki release him?

He grunted in pain as he hauled himself into a sitting position, the burns covering his chest and abs screaming in protest as his back began to burn and his head began to spin.

Ah, that's why. Even if there was a door - which there wasn't - and even if he could have normally beaten Loki alone - which he couldn't - there was no way in hell he was getting anywhere with these kinds of injuries.

Tentatively, carefully, Tony felt around his body, tallying up the injuries just in case he got out of this hell hole alive. Stab wound in thigh, burns coating torso, possible ribs broken, probable concussion, various cuts and bruises. Oh yeah, and shredded back. This was fantastic.

Not to mention that he had not been given food or water during hid entire captivity here, at least 3 days, and his stomach and head were paying for it.

Desperately, he yelled at the empty room.

"You know, if you're going to keep a pet, there are certain responsibilities that come with it! Like feeding it, watering it, and, oh yeah, GENERALLY NOT KILLING IT!"

His head fell into his hands as he tried to clear it, a headache starting already due to the small exertions thus far. Shit. He was going to die, literally, if he didn't get food soon.

There was a flash of light - really? Showy and headache-causing - and Loki was standing before him, somehow managing to look excited, peeved, and satisfied all at once. Bastard.

He took a step towards the genius, who immediately scooted back on the table.

Shit, Tony, should've thought this through. He had no idea what he was going to do now.

The god smirked. "You called?"

"Um... yes," Tony said, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

There was an awkward silence for a moment as Loki raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Well?"

"I need food. And water."

"Do you, now?" Loki asked, acting confused. "Hmm. How odd."

"Not really odd. Strangely, humans need food. Preferably a hamburger from the Sonic down the street from Stark Tower, and maybe some frie-"  
Tony's rambling was cut off by a swift fist to the gut, his breath escaping in a rush as his hands went to his stomach, burning and aching with hunger and agony.

"Fuck," he groaned, looking up at Loki, whose face had darkened considerably. Fantastic. He was not only dealing with a psychotic Norse god with a power complex and daddy issues, but a bipolar one too.

"I am not your slave, Stark, to be ordered to do whatever you please."

"Of course not, you fucking kidnapped me!" gasped Tony.

The god's face brightened, which was good, but he got a twinkle in his eye and cocked his head slightly to the side, which Tony had learned was a sign of something baaaad, at least for him.

"Are you implying that you are my slave?" asked Loki bemusedly.

"What, no, no, no! Wha-"

A hand was clapped over his mouth. Damn, when had the god gotten so close to him?

"Of course, Master," Loki hissed into his ear, encouraging the only answer acceptable to him.

"Manur! Nu wai!" Tony grunted around the hand.

"Do you not wish to eat?" Loki asked, grinning sadistically. Dominantly.

Tony thought. Yes, he did want to eat, but was it worth debasing himself in front of his enemy and captor? Embarassing himself, lowering himself before this bastard? He sighed resignedly and nodded. He had to eat. Just need to survive one more day, then the Avengers will be here. Hopefully.

"Right, then."

The god easily hoisted him off of the table, tossing him onto the floor where the genius cried out as all of his injuries protested at once.

"Kneel."

_You've got to be kidding me. _

Tony slowly, painfully, hauled himself onto his knees, head tilting upwards and eyes glaring defiantly at the god.

"Hmmmm... There's something wrong, I think," mused Loki, raising an eyebrow. When the head wasn't lowered, his lips thinned slightly, and he strode forward, coming to a halt inches from the kneeling man.

His hands abruptly swung forward, gripping Tony's face bruisingly, rewarded with only a clenched jaw. He grinned, and his hands began to turn cool around Tony's face, then cold, then freezing.

"What the hell?" muttered the billionaire as his face began to burn with icy fire.

He glanced down at the arms pinning him, and his eyes widened to see a cerulean blue spreading up the god's arms, darker scars and markings appearing over the previously pale skin. His eyes followed the wave of blue as it spread upwards, wiping away the white skin and turning it azure.

When the transformation was complete, Loki opened his eyes to reveal scarlet rather than the typical emerald.

Tony froze beneath him, chest heaving as his heart began pumping adrenaline, staring in horror at the monster above him.

"What are you?" he squeaked out.

"A Jotun, frost giant. This is my true form."

Tony mumbled. "Why does that not surprise me?"

The hands on his face immediately curled around his throat. Bad move.

They slowly curled in, choking off his air.

"Loki... please... don't."

The icy fingers lingered for a moment, then retreated, allowing the man beneath them to catch his breath.

A soft crack was heard as an ice blade formed in Loki's palm. He placed it under Tony's chin, tipping his face upwards.

"Let's try this again."

Swallowing his pride, Tony lowers his head, kneeling before Loki as asked.

"Good boy," croons Loki, sneering.

He bends down to place a plate in front of the billionaire, topped with a red apple and a glass of water.

"Enjoy," the god smirks, disappearing.

Tony immediately sits down normally, biting into the apple eagerly as if he was starving (which he was.) It was crisp and juicy, and all around one of the best apples he'd ever had.

That is, until the his vision became fuzzy around the edges and he got tunnel vision.

_Poisoned. Shit._

Those were Tony's last thoughts as the world tipped off of the cliff and into sweet darkness.


	7. A Rescue, Perhaps?

**Hello, my lovely readers! I'm updating a bit sooner than usual this time, because I'm probably not going to be able to update again until spring break because I have 4 projects due just this week. **

**Anyways, your, "Snow White," comments made me laugh. Well, if you're starving, I'm guessing that you'd probably eat the apple regardless of whether it MIGHT be poisoned because that is the only option you really have.**

**Loki-doki, so here's chapter 7. There is finally a bit of action in this one, mostly because I've just recently broke through a 3-week case of writer's block (right before I posted the last chapter). I was kind of having a debate with myself over this one. I couldn't decide whether to go with saved!Tony or bad!Tony, and, well, I guess you'll see which one I picked here. **

**Or maybe not... MWAHAHAHAHAH!**

He is greeted with a bright blue and shining gold when he finally manages to open his eyes the slimmest of cracks. He quickly closes them again because _oh gosh, the light!_

Just breathe. You're awake, and you're alive. That is better than dead, at least seeing as how you're not in pain at the moment.

He becomes aware of a faint buzzing in his ears.

_Just shut up already! _he wants to scream.

Whoa. Wait a second.

Is that a voice? No. Voices. Plural.

His eyes still closed, he strains to listen to the mumbling and whispering going on around him.

_"Friend Stark!..."_

_"Oh my god, look at his chest..."_

_"I wonder if he can hear us..."_

_"I'm going to kill that bastard!..."_

_"One broken rib, concussion, stab wounds, blisters..."_

_"Tony. Tony, can you hear me?"_

"Yes!" he wants to say, but he can't bring himself to open his mouth because _god, everything hurts!_

_"Tony, if you can hear me, I need you to raise a finger, okay?"_

_Okay_, he thinks. _I've got this._

He focuses all - which isn't very much - of the energy he can muster into his left hand, forcing his pointer finger to rise slightly off the ground.

_"It moved!"_

_"Okay, Tony, I need you to try to open your eyes for me, alright?"_

_Dammit, they're being pushy. _

He forces his eyes open again, squinting against the harsh light.

The figure above him is at first merely a swirl of colors, but his eyes slowly focus on the man above him.

"Steve?"

"Yeah, Tony, it's me," he replies, and wait, are those tears in his eyes? No, must be a trick of the light, right?

"You're late," Tony says, repeating the words from forever ago in Afghanistan.

Steve lets out a wry, mirthless chuckle. "Sorry about that."

"S'okay," he mumbles, and it is because they're HERE, and Loki isn't, and he is finally SAFE!

Isn't he?

"Where's Loki?" he asks, stomach bubbling lightly in apprehension of the answer.

"I don't know."

And fuck, this is bad.

Tony scoots away painfully from the hovering soldier, moving back, pressing himself against the wall, as everything falls into place.

"Tony, what's wrong?" Steve asks, and oh, he has no idea how bad this is.

"You have to leave, now," Tony says as loudly as he can, trying desperately to warn them before...

As if summoned by thought alone, there is a soft chuckle, seeming to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at once.

Yep, this so bad, bad doesn't even cover it.

"Ah, the so-called heroes have arrived. Finally," says the voice, and damn, Tony just wants them to leave before this gets out of hand.

"Loki!" Thor roars, whirling around, Mjolnir grasped in a tight fist. "Show yourself!"

"Hmmm, I don't think I will, yet," the voice replies, and suddenly there is loud bang as the door that the team had come in through disappears completely, trapping the six heroes in the room.

Natasha pulls her gun from its holster, aiming at nothing in particular, Clint nocks an arrow, Thor twirls Mjolnir furiously, and Steve stands up, pulling his shield onto his arm as he looms protectively over the genius. Bruce backs slowly into the wall, breathing heavily as he tries to get the Other Guy under control.

"Ah, ah, ah, no weapons permitted," scolds Loki, "but for my own."

There is a soft flash of light, and the guns, the bow and arrows, the shield, and the hammer are all gone, locked somewhere out of sight.

Bruce looks up, eyes almost completely green as he trembles, straining desperately to keep from, "Hulking Out," as Tony had dubbed it.

"Dr. Banner, I would suggest that you calm down before you end up crushing everyone in the room," warns the voice with a trace of amusement.

And then Loki materializes near where the door was, a smirk plastered firmly into place.

The 5 non-incapacitated heroes rush at Loki, but with a flick of his wrist, they all fly backwards into the wall, abruptly pinned like butterflies.

Under any other circumstances, Tony would laugh at the comparison, but given the current situation, he can hardly manage to keep from having a full-blown panic attack as his only potential rescuers are held in place by his torturer.

Loki slinks forward, regarding the group of heroes like a cat watching mouse as he steps up to stand before Tony, who tries vainly to scoot away from the man.

Loki merely reaches down to grab him around the neck, hauling him to his feet easily.

One slender hand wraps around the arc reactor as the other forces his head back, and Tony freezes in his desperate, feeble attempts to escape.

"So, you've finally found the Man of Iron," says Loki. "You must be so proud of yourselves, managing to find him after, what, a week?" The part of Tony's mind that is not in fight-or-flight mode files away this information for later. If there is a later. "And, what? You expected to simply walk out of here with him?" questions Loki darkly. "No, the only way Stark will be leaving my captivity is in a body bag."

Tony's chest heaves as he takes in panicked breaths, trying to keep himself from losing it right here.

"Loki," pleads Steve, "Just let him go."

"Let him go?" asks the god incredulously, tightening his grip on Tony. "Why would I do that when we're having so much... fun?" muses Loki pressing his lips to Tony's exposed neck and biting down harshly, drawing a ruby rivulet, which Loki licks away slowly as Tony squirms underneath him. The god twists the reactor slightly and Tony stops moving, not daring to even breathe.

There are angry voices yelling at Loki from the wall, but those pale against the desperate pounding in Tony's ears.

A tear, unbidden, makes it's way down Tony's cheek and the world falls silent but for the deep breathing from all those present.

And then a harsh, cruel laugh echoes from the walls of the chamber as Tony's barely-together emotions snap, tumbling out like a waterfall.

And Tony _hates_ himself for showing such weakness before his enemy, let alone his team, but he can't stop the torrent of emotion tumbling over him, drowning him.

And Loki just laughs.

**Alright, my computer is being stupid and none of my edits are saving, so I'll fix this later.**

**Please, please review :) Thanks. **


	8. Striking A Deal

**Ok, so I have a few questions to answer, apparently.**

**Is Loki pulling out the reactor? Preparing to, messing with it, but it is not out yet.**

**Why didn't Loki use magic to make himself invisible? Because A) It doesn't really matter to him whether or not the Avengers know he took Tony, it has no effect on the overall plan, B) he doesn't want to waste energy, and C) because he doesn't feel the need to.**

**Is he sure he was told the truth and that no one else had gotten this information before? Yes. He is the God of Lies, I'm pretty sure he'd be able to tell if someone was lying to him. And if someone had gotten this information out of the man before, the man would have either been dead or would have alerted the Allfather already to the breach in security.**

**How can you poison an apple so it is still juicy and tasty? Ask Snow White's stepmother. Loki's an expert sorcerer. I'm sure he could manage.**

**How can Loki take Mjolnir? Now, this is a good question, and it actually took me a while to figure this out myself. Here is my brilliant theory. Mjolnir is bound to Thor, true, but Odin could still take it away, right? Well, Loki is the best sorcerer in the Nine Realms apart from Odin and, perhaps, the Vanir. Now, taking this into account as well as the fact that Loki is backed by both the scepter and Thanos himself, I have decided that with their combined magic, they could probably keep Mjolnir from Thor for a limited amount of time. Restraining it would take a lot of energy, though, so it would only be for a very short amount of time. **

**Either way, it's a my fiction story. :P**

**I will try to update all of my stories by Monday, on another note, so stick with me, please!**

**Anyways, enjoy this chapter! Please, please review. **

* * *

The team stared on in horror at the crying genius held tight in the hands of Loki. As if it wasn't bad enough that he was being tortured by him, they could only stand by and watch, which made it all the worse. They'd never felt so powerless.

Bruce spoke, voice shaking violently with the strain of keeping the Other Guy at bay.

"Loki, please, just let him go. We'll give you what you want, just please, let Tony go."

Loki bared his teeth in a feral grin, lips still colored crimson with Tony's blood.

"What if what I want is to force you to watch helplessly while I torture your teammate?"

"There has to be something else," blurted Steve. "Anything!"

Steve knew it was foolish and dangerous to be trying to bargain with a psychotic terrorist, but he couldn't-wouldn't-stand by and watch Tony fall apart because of Loki. There had to be something he wanted! And no matter what it was, the team would give it to him. Because they would have Tony back. And with Tony back, there was a chance they could defeat him again.

"Hmmmm. Anything, you say?"

"Anything," Steve affirmed, despite the uncertainty and revulsion coursing through him like a river of red-hot fire.

Loki adjusted his grip on the genius, thinking things over. Tony had stopped crying by now, and now his face was carefully blank. Emotionless. The only sign of his distress were the tracks running down his cheeks.

A grin broke out across his face and he turned to look at Dr. Banner.

"I want the Gem in Stark's lab."

Bruce blanched. "Wha-what?"

"The Gem, Dr. Banner. You know, that large blue one Stark has in his lab?"

"Done," said Steve. Bruce turned to glare at the soldier.

Loki smirked as he watched the two of them have a staring contest across the room.

"It all comes down to how much you care about Stark. The Gem, or Stark. Your choice."

Bruce closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Fine. I'll give you the Gem. Now let Tony go."

Loki smiled, looking around the room at the entire team before he twisted his wrist and pulled out the reactor with a flourish.

"As you wish."

* * *

Tony let out a gasp as the reactor was wrenched from his chest. The team started screaming at Loki as Tony's vision began to blur.

_That fucking liar._

Suddenly, a cold hand was pressed to his chest as the one around his throat disappeared and there was a sudden rush of energy into his chest.

Tony took a deep, relieved breath as the world came back into focus, his newly-freed hand coming up to clasp his chest in a panic.

There was still a hole in the socket where the arc reactor was supposed to be, the device replaced by an iridescent bubble-type object.

_How am I alive?_

"What did you do?" he asked quietly, turning to look at the god.

"Kept you alive and made sure that your team will keep their end of the bargain. If they try to cross me, I can simply lift the spell and you will die."

Tony paled, a feat considering how white he already was from the harsh treatment of the last few days.

Loki waved his hands and the reactor disappeared from his hand, vanishing into some pocket dimension. A flick of his wrists, and the team was released from the invisible force pinning them to the wall.

Bruce, Steve and Thor immediately rushed over to Tony, the two blondes supporting him while Bruce gave him a quick look-over, his face gradually darkening as he saw the amount of damage caused by the raven-haired god.

The two assassins stood opposite Loki, glaring at him with such fury that even Lucifer himself would be put to shame.

Loki put his hand out in front of him, and Mjolnir, Steve's shield, a handful of guns and knives, and a bow and quiver appeared in his outstretched palm.

Immediately, it appeared as though a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders, the faint lines around his eyes and temples fading. It was probably hard to keep Mjolnir away from Thor.

The assassins stepped forwards to take the weapons, keeping their eyes fixed on the smirking god the whole time. Both entertained the oh-so-pleasing thought of simply killing the god now, but then they remembered the reactor and just grasped their weapons and slid them away, glaring at Loki and wishing desperately that looks alone could kill.

"I will be at Central Park at 2 AM this Sunday. Bring the Gem with you, and only send one of you or I will instantly remove the spell. Do not attempt any tricks if you value Stark's life. You have 5 days."

Loki let out one more chilling smile, and then the world around the team swirled from the dungeon that had held Tony for days into the familiar sight of Stark Tower's Avengers common room.

Tony instantly collapsed onto the floor in a horribly injured heap, blood staining the usually impeccably clean white floor.

Pepper, who was pacing restlessly in the next room rushed in at the commotion, her hand flying to her mouth as she saw Tony, choking back a terrified sob at the state of his body.

The team let out a simultaneous yell of panic, shouting to _get him to the goddamn infirmary already! _as Pepper rushed to his side, clasping his hand gently and brushing a stray piece of hair out of his face as horrified tears flowed down her cheeks, the water washing away the blood on Tony's chest in small lines where the tears fell.

Tony was lifted and carried to the new infirmary that had been installed in the tower, Bruce beginning to perform emergency procedures on the unconscious genius as the rest of the team and Pepper stood by silently, praying desperately that Tony would be okay.

But throughout all of this, Tony remained lost to the world. As good as dead.


	9. Waking Up

_"Loki! No, please! Stop!"  
_  
_The god just smirked, continuing in his work with the knives. Blood ran down Tony's body in rivers of crimson, coating his body in a mass of red. _

_The blade broke skin again, this time even closer to the face than the last one. The god was seemingly trying to make sure that no part of his body was left unharmed. And, unfortunately, he was doing a damn good job._

Tony screamed as a clenched fist slammed into his ribcage, the sound of the bone snapping creating a harsh crack that echoed off the walls.

"What do you want?!"

Loki smiled. "I want you to suffer, to feel the pain I did."

Another fist slammed into his stomach, and Tony fell into the numbing blackness.

He was on the table, this time, not restrained but yet cornered against the wall, Loki in front and the cool stone in back, long, pale arms penning him in.

Loki leaned forward, towards Tony, and the genius turned his head away, only to be met with a hard backhand to the face that forced him to turn back to Loki.

The god pressed his lips against Tony's ear, and Tony froze as Loki bit down. Hard.

"You. Are. Mine."

He struggled against the hands pinning him to the wall, pressing desperately against the god who was holding him so.

The hands tightened around his wrists, almost to the breaking point.

"If you wish to keep your hands, Stark, I suggest that you stop moving."

Tony surged forward, and to his surprise, the hands gave, and suddenly the god was off balance.  
  
Tony jumped forward, knocking Loki onto his back against the floor. He wrapped his hands around that pale neck, squeezing tighter and tighter. The god's eyes widened in surprise, and he started coughing.

"Tony."

"Tony."

"Tony!"

He felt himself being ripped backwards, off of the god he had finally managed to pin down. He felt four large arms dragging him towards a table, and he struggled violently.

"No! You don't get to do this to me again!"

"Tony, it's me. Steve."

"Bullshit," shot Tony, struggling even harder. He landed a well-placed kick and an elbow, and the hands released him for a moment as the men holding him grunted in pain, bending over to clutch their abdomens.

Tony ran out the glass door and into a white hallway and tore down it like the devil himself was chasing him. He rounded a corner, and then he felt a sharp stinging in his neck.

He reached up to pull out a dart, and then the world faded into black.

He woke up to the heart monitor's steady pulsing.

_Beep... beep... beep... beep.  
_  
He opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the light.

He went to sit up, only to find his hands and chest restrained, as well as his legs and feet.

He began to panic.

_No, no, no, no, no!  
_  
He pulled against the cuffs, but there was no give. He was trapped.

Just then, the door slid open, and a familiar face stepped in.

"Bruce?"

"Yeah, it's me. How you feeling, Tony?"

"Been better," he grunted. "What's with these?" he asked, pulling against the restraints for emphasis.

Bruce's face darkened slightly.

"Well?"

Tony laughed, to Bruce's surprise. It escalated quickly, to the point where Tony was having trouble breathing.

"Tony, you need to calm down before you upset your ribs. We just set them in place yesterday."

"I... Tony Stark... pinned Natasha Romanoff?! And I'm still alive?!"

Bruce chuckled. "Yes, obviously. You gave her a hell of a scare, though."

Tony smiled. "I bet I did."

Bruce stepped forward and loosened the straps pinning him to the gurney, and Tony shot him a grateful look, rubbing his wrists gently.

"So, Doc. How am I?"

Bruce cleared his throat. "You've got 2 broken ribs, a stab wound in your left thigh, numerous cuts and bruises, a concussion, a broken nose, and a fractured wrist."

"Well, that is better than expected."

Bruce smiled wryly. "Yeah, it looked a lot worse while you were in there."

"How'd you get me out?"

Bruce cocked his head in concern. "You don't remember?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope. Not a thing."

"Well, we uh-. We made a deal. With Loki."

Tony groaned. "What kind of a deal?"

"He'd give you back if we gave him the Gem."

"What?! Don't tell me you agreed to that?!"

"We had no choice, Tony! It was you or the Gem."

Tony shut his eyes, letting out a deep groan. He muttered under his breath, barely loud enough for Bruce to notice.

"What was that, Tony?"

"You should have chosen the Gem."

**Sorry it's kinda short. In case it was unclear, the italicized stuff at the beginning is a flashback. A little bit of potential suggestiveness, but, as promised, no slash or smut. Just intimidation. **

**Please review!**


	10. Wait, What?

"Tony, no. We chose you. End of story."

Bruce took a seat on a nearby chair, grabbing a clipboard from the sidetable.

"So, um, Tony..." he began, looking awkward. "What exactly happened?"

Tony closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm sure you've already seen the footage of him taking me, right?"

"Right," Bruce affirmed.

"Well, he took to me to a dungeon place and basically tortured me with whips and knives and burning metal, quite unoriginal, honestly, for a week, and then you guys showed up."

Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly. "You were crying when we came, Tony. What did Loki do to you to bring you to that point?"

Tony let out a wry laugh. "What didn't he do to me?"

Bruce scribbled something down on the clipboard, then glanced back up at Tony.

"Did he have the scepter with him?"

"Yes."

"Did he use it on you?"

"Not as a scepter, no."

"As what?"

"A knife, a whip, various other torture devices."

Bruce scribbled something else on the paper.

"How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

"My head hurts a bit, but everything else feels fine, although I'm fairly certain that's from whatever pain meds you've been pumping me with."

"Tony-" Bruce began, but then there was a soft knock at the door and a wonderfully familiar face peeked in. Tony's heart soared.

"Tony!" she cried, flinging open the door to pull Tony into a light embrace, careful not to upset any injuries. Tony cradled her neck in his hand, letting his chin drop to her shoulder, and breathed in the familiar scent of her strawberry shampoo. "Pepper," he whispered, lifting her head and pulling her into a chaste kiss.

Tony heard Bruce say something about coming back in a few minutes, and the door slammed shut.

They broke away, and Pepper sat down on the edge of the gurney.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" asked Pepper, eyeing him chuckled softly. "I'm fine, Pepper. I'm okay now. Bruce patched me up really well, I'll be up and running as usual in a few weeks."

Pepper grinned. "That's great!" she said. Tony gave her a cocky smirk. "I expect those few weeks to be free of paperwork, Potts," he said, and Pepper just laughed. "No promises."

Her hands softly ran over his chest, ever-cautious, but exploring the new wounds gently, biting her lip when she saw the intense cuts and bruises and burns. She looked up at Tony, her face grim and somewhat scary. "I am going to fucking kill Loki for this," she said.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Get in line," he said. "I get to go first and kick his sorry ass back to Hell."

Pepper feigned sadness. "But then I won't get a turn," she pouted.

Tony smiled, and Pepper leaned over to press a kiss to Tony's temple. "I'll leave you to get better now," she said, "Gods know you need it." She Her hand brushed his face one more time, and then she wordlessly rose from the gurney and glanced over her shoulder one more time before shutting the door softly behind her, leaving Tony lost to his thoughts.

For about five minutes.

Then Tony heard heavy footsteps pounding down the hallway, getting closer and closer to his room, and he heard Pepper yelling something indiscernible in the background. He straightened up, reaching for something, anything, to defend himself with.

And then a team of SHIELD agents burst into the room, guns drawn and pointing right at Tony. Tony raised his hands gingerly above his head, grateful that the pain medicine was already in his system. And then, of course, in walked Nick Fury himself, overcoat billowing behind him and gun set in it's holster. He turned to Tony, face grim.

"Tony Stark, you are under arrest."

**Yes, I know, short again, but I promise that the next few chapters will absolutely make up for it. You guys are either going to love me or hate me with a burning passion for what I'm planning, but both will be quite interesting reactions. The next chapter should be up within a week, possibly sooner. **

**Please review.**


	11. Compromised?

"What?" asked Tony dully.

"You are under arrest." Fury began listing off his Miranda rights, but Tony's brain was frozen.

That is, until two overzealous agents tugged him none too gently off the bed and hunched him over a table, handcuffs snicking shut around his wrists.

"Under what charges?!" asked Tony incredulously.

"Conspiring against the United States, aiding and abetting a known criminal, and terrorism threats. These crimes are punishable by a maximum death sentence or life in prison."

Tony's eyes narrowed. "Fury, just what the FUCK have you been smoking?"

Fury shifted his gaze to the men pinning Tony.

"Gentlemen," he said, nodding slightly.

Tony's head was yanked backwards, and a chloroform-coated rag was placed over his mouth and nose.

Tony struggles weakly against the drug, but before long he was out like a light.

* * *

When Tony woke up, he resisted the urge to open his eyes, instead focusing on observing his situation while feigning unconsciousness. His legs, waist, and chest were strapped to the chair he was sitting in, arms chained together with the hind legs of the chair.

He heard a door off to his right open and heard footsteps entering, 2 people by the sound of it.

He blinked open, squinting against the harsh light. As the world came into focus, he took in his surroundings. The room was empty except for the chair, 5 armed guards, and, unsurprisingly, Nick fucking Fury himself. What did surprise him, though, was the other person in the room: Natasha.

Fury stood before him, hands clasped behind his back and his eye fixed on Tony. And that look, that icy cold stare, it _pissed Tony off. _It reminded him of Howard: that disapproving gaze, that better-than-thou stance, that hard, merciless stare.

Natasha leaned against the wall in the corner, her stance betraying nothing, face emotionless.

So Tony turned his attention to Fury.

"Nicky!" he said, grinning widely with that trademark fake Stark smile.

Nothing.

Fury turned to Natasha and gave her a curt nod, and the spy peeled away from the wall, reaching into one of her seemingly endless pockets as she took slow, steady steps toward Tony.

Her hand came away grasping a tube-like metal silver object, with a giant red button on the top and near-invisible seams on the side.

She came to a stop before him, clicking the button and releasing three claws, a soft glowing coming from within. Tony shuddered and strained against the bonds because that looked a _hell _of a lot like Loki's eyeball-remover-thingy from Stuttgart.

Her hand came up to grip his chin firmly, and the machine came down towards his face. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second-" Tony started, but then the device was over his right eye and his heart just _stopped._

And then it was pulling away, a scan of his retina appearing on the screen of the opposite wall as coding scrolled past on the side, and Tony let out a breath. Natasha pressed some electrodes to his chest and forehead, then stepped back to look at the screen.

"Color appears normal, sir, although brain activity seems to be highly increased as is temperature," Natasha read out.

Fury scribbled something down on a clipboard pulled from seemingly nowhere, then looked back up at Natasha.

"Agent Romanoff, you know what to do."

She nodded, and he gestured the guards to the door, and then Fury stepped out after them, closing the door behind him.

So now he was alone with Natasha Romanoff: Avenger, assassin, and Russian spy. Tied to a chair. In an interrogation room.

Fuck.

She strode up to stand before him, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked down at him.

"So, what's his play?" she asked calmly, and Tony was shocked to hear her interrogation voice. The same voice she'd used on Loki, and probably countless others. That was disconcerting.

"What?"

"Loki. What's his play?"

Tony just stared at her in shock.

"I don't know! In case you didn't notice, _he tortured me, _Romanoff. He didn't tell me anything."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at him. "So, you expect me to believe that you were with an egotistic villain with mind-control powers for a week, and he told you nothing?"

Tony blanched. That did sound kinda bad. "He didn't tell me anything, I swear!"

Natasha circled behind him and he tensed, feeling her hands come down to rest on his shoulders. She bent over to whisper into his ear.

"Are you sure there's nothing you could tell us that could be helpful?"

"He told me nothing!"

* * *

If anyone at SHIELD was asked if they heard screaming coming from cell block D, they would deny it completely, as per usual. SHIELD was good at getting what they wanted.

But the screams coming from the interrogation sector chilled even the most seasoned agents to the bone.


	12. Chapter 12

Hello, my dear readers! I have come, shall we say, to a deciding point in the story, by no means the climax, but the first of several to come. In several chapters will be the end of what I have dubbed Part 1. So now, I am letting you decide the outcome of the next several chapters. The final ending will be the same either way, but I have two different paths to get there, so I leave it up to you.

CHOICE A: This choice involves a little more Tony!whump, some Pepper hurt/comfort, a visit from our favorite Captain, and leads to a surprising and emotional ending of Part 1, with everyone in a state of distress and pissed-of-ness at the world's greatest supervillain.

CHOICE B: Our dear Tony gets a break from an unexpected source, some WTF moments, and leads up to a final scene which questions everyone's loyalties and Tony's fragile mask.

It is up to you, my wonderful readers! Review before Wednesday night at midnight (I suppose it's Thursday morning?) to enter your vote. Please vote only once per account.


End file.
